


No Treble

by misterbananakun



Category: Video Blogging RPF, youtube - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Completed, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27189616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misterbananakun/pseuds/misterbananakun
Summary: sykkuno doesn’t even know he’s into voices like that until he hears this one.
Relationships: Corpse Husband/Sykkuno, Sykkuno/Corpse Husband
Comments: 136
Kudos: 2260





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> back again with my bullshit. one moment i was watching youtube compilations and the next second there's this monstrosity in my hands. this is mostly cute shit (yeah i served my sentence in horny jail) because i really wanted to write a cinnamon roll character like sykkuno. 
> 
> i don't use their real names in this so as to separate their youtube personas from reality. this is not real, and will probably never be. unedited, and plotholes everywhere, but enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sykkuno doesn't even know he's into voices like that until he hears this one.

the story goes like this: sykkuno has been swamped with assignments for a good month now, leading up to his finals. everything’s been fine, he’s catching up to deadlines, he’s almost done with this _very_ important paper—up until his laptop crashed. literally just shut down for no absolute reason. he might have cried a bit and wailed about it to toast, but apparently toast has a friend who knows a friend who’s in computer science.

it turns out that the guy needs ten minutes and just five bucks to retrieve the files that might have been affected. it’s a criminally low price for something that sykkuno would have died over if it cannot be fixed. he thinks back to the quiet tall guy who barely spoke a word to him and had on a full black attire, complete with a hoodie over his head and a black mask. sykkuno would have been intimidated, but the guy pointed at his bulbasaur wallpaper and muttered “nice”, and he immediately has no doubt this guy isn’t anything to be scared of. maybe he’s one of those mysterious hackers from spy movies, which is honestly super cool.

another much more interesting thing was his voice. sykkuno doesn’t even know he’s into voices like that until he hears this one. he cringes when he remembers the way he reacted to corpse’s voice the first time he heard it. he had literally frozen in place, looking up at the guy in awe and disbelief.

ugh, that had been so rude! his grandmother raised him better than that!

thankfully, corpse did not notice, focused on clearing sykkuno’s computer of whatever bug that’s plaguing it. after that, sykkuno actually, _completely_ forgot to give him that five bucks, because he’s an idiot who got mesmerized over a damn voice. he also finds a note when he open his laptop, with just a phone number and the name ‘corpse’. so now he’s here.

he nibbles over his lower lip as he agonizes over how to start the text. would ‘hi’ be too casual? ‘good _morning? good morning..sir?_ would that be too much?

corpse seems so much older, but sykkuno doesn’t even know how _old_ corpse is, and he really shouldn’t be judging by appearance _or_ voice, for that matter. he shakes his head once to clear his head. okay. it’s whatever, right? he’s just someone who happened to be _very_ nice, with an unbelievably, stupidly deep voice, and who happened to have helped sykkuno with like, the most important project of his college life right now, and who expected five bucks but didn’t _actually_ receive it. so it’s fine to send a little text to thank him, really.

“hey, what are you stressing over _now_?” toast says with a little laugh as he takes the empty seat beside him. he’s always teasing sykkuno about worrying over the littlest thing, but he can’t really help it. rae says it’s part of his ‘smol vibe’ charm, whatever that means.

sykkuno tries not to sigh, but that only ends up with him pouting miserably instead. toast takes pity on him and doesn’t point it out, though the amused look is still on his face. “okay, what? you’re acting like your cat just died.”

“hey! mr truffles is perfectly healthy and safe at home! it’s not that. it’s just…promise me you won’t tease me about it?”

toast rolls his eyes. “promise.”

“so i met someone—“

“you _what_?”

“i meant! it _was_ a stranger, but he helped me with my project and i agreed to pay five bucks, but i forgot, and he’s _really_ nice, and gave me his number, so i thought i’d text him and—“

“ _ffwhat!_ ” the look on toast’s face is a mix of shock and unhindered glee. if sykkuno doesn’t know better, he would think toast was actually, genuinely happy that he met a friend besides their usual group of hooligans. but they have been friends for ever, and he knows what that look means.

“it’s not!” sykkuno covers his face with his hands, groaning into them. “it’s not like that!”

“ _ohho_ , “ toast says, smug. “so why are you embarrassed?”

sykkuno doesn’t actually know why he’s embarrassed. but talking about this reminds him of corpse’s voice and it does things to his nerves. “i met him _yesterday_!” sykkuno wails, distraught. “he helped me with my project for _free_ and i just want to thank him for the help, but i don’t know how!”

“oh, sykkuno,” toast coos, patting him sympathetically on his shoulder. “you _do_ realize he might just be a creep, right? like, stranger danger?”

“he’s not a creep,” sykkuno says hesitantly. “i mean, i think? he was _really_ nice, toast. he’s in our campus, too.”

toast just hums, unconvinced. “he might be fishing.”

sykkuno shakes his head. no way. the way he talks just…he wasn’t lying. what is toast even on about? why would anyone be ‘fishing’ for sykkuno? and even if corpse _is_ trying to pick him up, sykkuno would know, right?

“so what? you’re going to text him to thank him?”

sykkuno nods, suddenly remembering his earlier dilemma and grabbing his abandoned phone hurriedly.

“i was thinking of just, meeting for a drink? would that be too much?”

toast sighs, looking at him forlornly. it’s a bit off-putting. “sykkuno…”

“what?”

“nothing. that would be nice of you, actually. if you want me to accompany you—“

“no!” sykkuno cries, and immediately regrets it. what the hell was that reaction? toast must be so wierded out! “i mean…uh…that would be awkward…”

“o—kay, then. if you’re sure.”

“i’m sure.”

“hey, come on! it’s fine. he’s just a guy,” toast says encouragingly, and sykkuno smiles at him, nodding. he loves his friends so much. and yeah, corpse _is_ just a guy. it’s totally fine.

* * *

_> hello! thanks for the other day! sorry i forgot the money! _

_> do you want to meet up anytime for a thank-you coffee? _

_> xoxo sykkuno (bulbasaur wallpaper guy)_

sykkuno sent the text right after his meet-up with toast, and he’s burning with anxiety waiting for the reply. it’s been approximately three minutes, and he doesn’t think corpse will actually reply. after all, he seems busy, and he doesn’t even know sykkuno, and he probably gave a fake number because he actually _doesn’t_ want sykkuno to text him, and—

_ding!_

sykkuno’s heart jumps to his throat.

**_> hey sykkuno. sure ;) _ **

**_> xoxo?_ **

**_> corpse (it was a nice wallpaper)_ **

sykkuno stares at the little winking emoji and the question mark following his xoxo’s. what does that mean? does he not know what xoxo means? sykkuno is used to using it with his friends so he figured it wouldn’t be bad to use it with corpse too. more importantly, he’s more surprised that someone like corpse is using emojis in his text. not that he’s judging, but it’s surprisingly…cute.

okay, sykkuno is getting way in over his head.

but he said yes! so that’s a go.

_> yay! we can meet at the snow café across campus?_

_> (xoxo for all my friends!) _

okay! everything’s going so smoothly! who knew he had it in him!

**_> okay. saturday, 6pm?_ **

**_> friend :) _ **

sykkuno grins as he types his reply quickly. see? corpse is so nice! toast is so completely wrong for once. maybe if he played his cards right, corpse would even join their group of friends! though that’s kind of hypocritical of him, when he didn’t want toast to join their meet-up…he just wants the first meeting to be special, okay? this is his new friend, and he’s going to protect him from toast’s fiery barrage of passive-aggressive insults!

* * *

saturday cannot come fast enough. sykkuno is halfway through his load of assignments, and he cannot wait for a break from all of it. surprisingly, corpse and him keep texting throughout the week.

in two days, he learnt that corpse is actually younger than him, excels brilliantly at computer science and is very into photography. he’s sent sykkuno a total of five pictures so far, a bunch of trees and close-up pictures of bugs, and despite not having a keen eye for art, he thinks corpse is very, very good. he tells corpse this and receives a string of crying emojis that makes him laugh.

he finds out most people find corpse intimidating because of his voice, so he tries not to speak unless spoken to, since he doesn’t like seeing people’s reaction to it. it’s also the reason he uses so many emojis in his text, to make himself seem less threatening, and sykkuno thinks it’s the most adorable thing ever. he tells corpse he doesn’t even find corpse scary the first time they spoke. (he refuses to acknowledge any other feelings that that voice invoked, because there was none. none!)

in fact, they’re texting so much even rae notices in one of their rare lunch meetings. it’s just him and rae and toast this week, since lily is sandwiched between part-time jobs and architecture’s cultural week. micheal only shows up when lily does, so that leaves just three of them.

sykkuno doesn’t notice rae nudging toast and gesturing at him, too engrossed in his phone. corpse is texting him about how he got into computer science. it’s supposed to be very boring, but sykkuno wants to know everything about corpse if he can. it’s just the natural course of being friends, right?

“so uh, sykkuno,” rae speaks up, clearing her throat loudly. sykkuno manages three laughing emojis and a heart as a reply to corpse complaining about one of his lecturers who makes him read things aloud in class.

“uh..yes?”

“you barely spoke since we sat down,” rae says slowly, as if to a toddler. “and i am very curious as to who you are texting while smiling to yourself like that. it is _very_ distracting, and frankly, quite adorable, but we are going to ignore that for now. so, who is it? spill!”

sykkuno freezes, not knowing how to respond to that. had he really been smiling to himself? how embarrassing!

“it’s uh—“ he glances at toast for help, but the no-good loser is looking away, pretending not to hear anything. bad friend! sykkuno will remember this! “it’s just…someone i met.”

his phone dings again. thrice. corpse is very fond of spam texting.

rae gasps loudly. “did you get yourself a girl? a boy? sykkuno, i’m so happy for you! when was this? why didn’t i know, toast?!”

“hey, i didn’t know either,” toast is a habitual liar. sykkuno is about to call him out for it, but rae is onto him like a hawk. toast will have to wait.

“he’s a friend!” sykkuno says desperately. “just a friend!”

rae clasps her hands together, not even listening anymore. “our little sykkuno! you’re all grown up now! making _friends_ all on your own!”

“ _little_? i’m not a baby!”

he’s not! why does everyone keep treating him like one? he’s in his twenties, for god’s sake!

“okay, okay,” rae says, all placating. toast has his fingers massaging his temples, as if he’s the one being harassed here. he didn’t even try to stop rae’s crazy speculations! see if sykkuno ever helps him out with a girl ever again. (sykkuno is a very good wingman, despite not being able to get a girlfriend or boyfriend himself). his phone dings again, and despite rae and toast watching him, he can’t resist opening the texts.

**_> are you laughing at me? that’s not very nice :((_ **

**_> that woman is out to get me, sykkuno >:(_ **

**_> hey, you there?_ **

**_> you’re ghosting me, huh :’)_ **

“there it is, again,” rae says, amused. “friend, huh?”

_> gtg, my friends are teasing me for texting you :(_

he quickly presses send and stashes his phone into his pocket. “there, happy? can we enjoy lunch now, please?”

rae gets distracted as their order arrive, and begins prattling off about a guy she’s crushing on who is 6 feet tall and absolutely gorgeous. sykkuno listens, and spends the entire time wondering about what corpse would look like with his mask off too.

* * *

it’s friday night, and sykkuno has promptly rejected toast’s invitation to the nearest bar for a chill out session with the gang. it’s not like sykkuno has anything to do, so he might have lied a bit to them about an assignment that’s already halfway done and is due like, next month or something. he just doesn’t feel like socializing tonight, wants to maybe pamper himself a bit and binge on ice-cream and netflix. you know, like normal people do.

he’s in his pikachu onesies (toast got it for him as a joke for his birthday, but it’s _comfy_ , okay?) and he’s got a whole tub of Ben and Jerry’s, the expensive stuff. mr truffles is fed and happily sleeping on his bed, so he’s stuck to camping out in the living room couch instead. he barely gets started on an anime series when a message chimes in.

it’s corpse. of course. sykkuno snuggles into a more comfortable position, feeling his lips tilt helplessly into a smile.

**_> you up for anything tonight, babe? ;))_ **

sykkuno laughs, using a fist to smother it. they’ve started using _babe_ as like an inside joke, and it’s actually hilarious. corpse has a peculiar sense of humour, and sykkuno’s practically willing to go along with anything as long as it’s not too uncomfortable for them.

_> netflix and chill? i’ve got ice-cream :)_

**_> what a coincidence _ **

**_> you not with your friends?_ **

_> nah. tired. you?_

_> um, coincidence?_

**_> coincidence as in i’m inside, watching Netflix too_ **

**_> what are friends, right?_ **

sykkuno bites his lips guiltily. he kind of gets the impression that corpse is a lone wolf most of the time, considering how he talks about people as if all they ever do is run away from him or try to make him talk. that friend question might have been a bit much.

_> hey! i’m your friend, okay? :)_

_> i’ve got an idea. do you have discord?_

**_> yeah why?_ **

_> i know we’re meeting tomorrow or whatever, but i was thinking maybe we _could _chill. i mean if you want. we could watch a movie together. or something._

_> idk it’s just an idea._

_> it’s stupid! _

_> anyway_

sykkuno takes a deep breath as he waits for the reply. okay, that might have been a rash decision. he’s trying to make corpse feel better about spending friday night alone, but maybe he doesn’t even _want_ to be consoled. what is he thinking? he’s not even mentally ready to talk to corpse online! this is a mess!

he jumps when the reply comes.

**_> noo, i’m totally down :D_ **

**_> what movie?_ **

sykkuno scrambles over himself in haste of getting his laptop from living room table. corpse is already sending him a link to a discord server, and sykkuno’s heart is beating too damn loud for him to think clearly.

**_> you there?_ **

sykkuno belatedly realizes he hasn’t replied to corpse for a good few minutes while freaking out.

_> yep. just getting my laptop._

trying to calm his breathing, sykkuno connects to discord to see corpse’s username in all caps. way to be intense. he clicks on the name and holds his breath.

_“uh, sykkuno?”_

god. his voice is as deep as sykkuno remembers. he immediately breaks into goosebumps over it, which is both embarrassing and unfair. he wonders what his voice sounds like to corpse, or maybe he just doesn’t care much.

“hi,” sykkuno says, proud of himself for sounding so calm. “so…”

_“hey, babe,”_ corpse says, totally joking as he chuckles darkly, but sykkuno nearly chokes and dies on the spot. what the hell. it’s funny in text, but hearing it just sounds…god, he doesn’t know.

corpse is still chuckling softly at the other end and sykkuno literally feels shivers go up his spine. if this is what it’s like talking to corpse all the time…he might need some time to reconsider this friendship. he cannot deal with the guiltiness of being so goddamn affected over a damn voice. granted, it’s a _very_ nice voice, but still. he refuses to be like the people corpse hate so much.

“we could watch a horror movie, or whatever,” sykkuno says, hoping he doesn’t sound as awkward as he feels. they’ve been talking non-stop for 5 days now, it’s supposed to be a breeze interacting with each other. heck, he even knows how many days corpse lifts in a week. (five days; four if he’s lazy about it and sykkuno doesn’t imagine any of it under his layer of black clothing, shut up)

“ _sure,”_ corpse says, and they both agree on some new netflix movie that’s actually a bit good.

sykkuno munches on his ice cream while they watch, slowly getting more comfortable as corpse comments quietly on how stupid the characters are.

_“watch her go right into that trap,”_ corpse grumbles, making sykkuno laugh as the character scream while getting dragged away by an invisible force. he keeps making little comments that sykkuno laughs at because it’s so funny hearing him get all aggravated over a movie. halfway through, corpse clears his throat and says, _“so i’ve been wondering,”_

sykkuno finishes the last bit of his ice-cream and sucks the spoon into his mouth. “hm?”

_“i’m not like…the friendliest person. why’d you decide to text me? five bucks is whatever, you know?”_

sykkuno thinks over that one. it’s hard to pinpoint why, exactly. “i don’t know. i just really want to thank you? i guess i knew right away that you’re a good guy. i mean, you helped me a lot. and you’re like, a great texter. and! you liked my bulbasaur wallpaper! that was really important,” he nods, satisfied with that explanation. corpse _is_ a good guy. a wonderful friend.

there’s dead silence on the other end.

“corpse?”

“ _you’re so fucking_ cute,” corpse says, nearly a whispered groan. sykkuno wouldn’t have heard it if he was listening to the movie instead, but he did hear it, and he feels his cheeks immediately burning up in embarrassment.

“don’t say that,” he whines, voice tinny. “my friends say that all the time. and i’m older than you!”

“ _well, doesn’t matter cause it’s true,”_ corpse says, laughing. “ _i think you’re adorable. and i cannot wait to meet you again_.”

sykkuno covers his face with his hands, even when there’s nobody to look at his flushed face anyway. he cannot wait for tomorrow too. he doesn’t say it out loud.

“yeah,” he says instead. “um, what are you wearing?”

shit. shit! that is _not_ what he meant to say! no!

“i mean! no—don’t answer that. it’s a distraction. i’m—oh my god,” he whimpers, sinking into the couch further as corpse laughs.

“ _really?_ ” corpse says, but then continues, _“i’m actually decent. shirt and sweatpants. you?_ ”

sykkuno doesn’t know what’s happening, but corpse’s voice has gone even lower than before. he has no idea if it’s a joke or if corpse is being serious. but if he is… no way. no way! he’s too unprepared for this!

“i uh…” for a second, sykkuno forgets what he’s wearing, but a quick glance and he seriously regrets ever saying anything in the first place. “i rather not say,” he says quickly. why, of all nights, must it be this one that he wears these onesies? why??

“ _oh, are you_ not _decent?”_ corpse teases, making sykkuno bite his lip so hard it might have bled a little.

“i am! it’s just…”

“ _what are you wearing, sykkuno,”_ corpse deadpans, and the command in his voice actually gives sykkuno a full-bodied shiver. well, _that_ has never happened before. shit.

“i’m in my pikachu onesies…” he says, and is legitimately going to die with embarrassment. oh my god. nobody knows he wears it, even toast! he’s 27 years old! this is the peak of humiliation for the entire life. nothing can top this, ever!

“just laugh,” he whines, already submitting to his fate. “don’t hold back.”

“sykkuno,” corpse says, and it’s full of amusement. _“i think that is really,_ really _cute. i really want to see it.”_

“shut up! i hate you,”

_“no, you don’t_ ,” corpse says, all smug and he’s right, of course.

“no, i don’t,” sykkuno sighs.

_“oh, thank_ _god_ ,” corpse says, and it sounds like a moan, except he’s actually just joking around, and sykkuno is _not_ going to feel anything about it. really.

while they’re chatting, the movie is finally over and sykkuno realizes they’ve talked for over an hour. huh.

“it’s late,” he says, and hears corpse humming in agreement. “so i’ll see you tomorrow?”

“ _sykkuno_ ,” corpse says.

“yeah?”

_“it’s really nice talking to you,”_ corpse sounds genuinely warm, and a bit sleepy, and sykkuno feels his heart stutter. “ _i’ve never...this might sound weird, but i really… like you_.”

oh.

“i uh… i think you’re a good friend, too,” he assures.

“ _yep_ ,” corpse sighs, and he sounds sad all of a sudden, maybe a bit disappointed. _“see you tomorrow.”_

sykkuno opens his mouth, then shuts it again. no. this isn’t how it’s supposed to end! he can’t just leave corpse all sad for the rest of the night!

“wait! corpse, i um—“ he takes a deep breath, shuts his eyes. “i like you too. a lot. i like talking to you. a lot.”

waiting for the reply is agony. then, “me too, sykkuno. a lot,” corpse huffs out another one of those dark, low chuckles. “ _goodnight_. _babe_.”

sykkuno laughs, cups his hot cheeks with both hands and whispers, “night.”

he cannot actually bring himself to say out the word, in fear of it being too real. but that’s fine, because corpse just laughs again and disconnects from the server. sykkuno clutches at his chest desperately, hoping to all that is holy that all would go well tomorrow.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sykkuno: and we call each other babe!  
> toast: wait, what?  
> sykkuno: i know! he's so funny!  
> corpse: *suffering noises*
> 
> it's going to take a lot more than that to get him up to speed, corpse. i'm so sorry.


	2. Angel Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it’s been a day and corpse may or may not have been thinking about soft marshmallow pretty angel boy the entire time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a sequel featuring corpse’s inner frantic fanboy and the one-man sykkuno protection squad. also at this point you can probably tell i know jack shit about computer science or photography.
> 
> this is not real! no harassing people about your ship!  
> they ship themselves just fine :)

the story, however non-plausible it is, goes like this: corpse is a struggling college student trying to make a living out of fixing computers for people with no time to read Computer Science for Dummies, or like, google any of that shit for that matter. no, he’s serious, half of the things he does actually just involves a reboot or something, which is why his fees are ridiculously small and he still feels guilty for taking the money most of the times.

but, as things goes, he _is_ still a struggling college student, and he still needs that extra cash. five bucks could get him a sandwich down at snow café. or more like a _mini_ sandwich, but they’re actually delicious and his point stands. anyway, that is totally the reason he slipped his personal number into the guy’s laptop. really.

it’s not like the guy is super attractive or anything, or even just slightly adorable with his fucking pokemon wallpaper or whatever, or corpse is not even one bit mesmerized by his stupidly melodic tone of voice. and like, he totally didn’t notice how impressed the guy looks when corpse spoke, how his eyes literally just sparkled like some kind of anime bullshit. and it’s not like his voice sparked a tiny million cicadas in corpse’s belly, threatening to swarm the entirety of his body and consume him whole.

okay, corpse is dramatic _and_ a liar, sue him.

but oh my god, corpse could _not_ resist having just the tiniest bit of hope that this smol, baby angel boi with the softest most adorable smile would contact him. he also completely forgot claiming the five bucks they supposedly agreed on, so that’s like, another whole disappointment if tiny boi didn’t contact him at all.

it’s been a day and corpse may or may not have been thinking about soft marshmallow pretty angel boy the entire time. it’s fine. he’s always been a bit dreamy, anyway.

when the text comes he might as well had busted a lung because what the fuck. what the fuck? how can an actual person be so fucking cute? _how??_ they agreed to meet on Saturday (corpse’s lizard brain agreed immediately without regards to any time-related constraints at all) and that’s like a complete 6 days away. being someone who’s all in or nothing, he tries texting sykkuno more, and the guy actually replies back. that’s a good sign, right? he’s pretty sure it is.

>you in math?

he taps impatiently as the typing bubbles pop open and close. his anxiety got the better of him and he starts typing again.

>just asking :)

>saw the files titles and just figured

>that’s actually cool

_> yeah!!!!!_

_> you think it’s cool??_

comes the reply, and corpse snorts into his hand.

>totally :3

>not what i imagined you to be studying, but yeah

_> what did you imagine me studying?_

>not maths

~~> art because you’re a piece of art~~

>art, maybe? ;)

>you look a lot like this anime character

_> ooh! do you like them?_

>what?

_> i can’t tell if that’s a compliment_

_> do you like the anime character?_

~~> YES YES YES~~

>yeah

_> oh, cool! thank you!_

that was the extent of the first round of texts, and corpse feels a bit better about the meetup. sykkuno’s a bit weird, but that’s cool because corpse has experience just about every level of weird imaginable in his whole 23 years of life. he’s not about to be phased out just because sykkuno seems a bit dense sometimes.

* * *

the second time they text, it’s actually sykkuno who initiates. corpse is ecstatic, but he’s with a client and he cannot afford to fist pump the air in the middle of the campus library. also, the girl with the supposedly broken laptop keeps glancing at him like he’s about to bite.

he might, if she continues doing that.

he finishes quickly and remembers the fee this time, opening the texts again and smiling soppily to himself.

_> i forgot to ask, but what are you into?_

~~> you~~

>besides computer science i like to take photos :DD

>it’s whatever

_> nice!_

corpse scratches his head at the single response. sykkuno is turning out to be sort of a dry texter. well, at least he initiated.

>might send you some pictures

~~> if you’re good~~

>if you like

_> omg sure!_

and that is how corpse starts sending his best works to sykkuno, hoping to be praised like an eager puppy. it’s actually a bit embarrassing, but his closest friends aren’t actually into praising each other and all that shit. it’s pretty much just constant insults lovingly thrown around and like, drunken declaration of love for each other, so talking with sykkuno feels like a breath of fresh air. his ex-girlfriend used to make him take her photos, but he suspects it’s just for her modelling portfolio. that was months ago though, and corpse doesn’t like to linger much on the past.

his phone vibrates again, and he expects another text from sykkuno, but it’s actually an unknown number.

>is this corpse? we need to talk.

corpse raises an eyebrow. most people have no way of accessing his private number; he has a separate phone for customers who needs computer-related fix-ups. so it’s a surprise that a stranger would get his number so easily.

>sorry, who is this?

_> sykkuno’s friend. meet me at the campus library today. 2pm._

oh, wow. okay. he doesn’t know how to feel about that. did sykkuno give out his number to all his friends? is this his boyfriend or something? what in actual fuck?

_> be there or best believe you won’t ever see sykkuno ever again_

oh, so he _is_ the boyfriend. or wannabe anyway. corpse will see about that.

>and why would i believe you?

>does sykkuno know you’re doing this?

_> he doesn’t have to._

_> i’ll find you myself if you don’t show._

corpse sighs, not bothering to reply. does he _want_ to go? fuck no. but is he deadly curious and has a weak spot for mystery and difficult situations? heck fucking _yeah_. it’s also a little funny how threatening this person is trying to be when he’s literally friends with _sykkuno_ , the best softest boy corpse has ever met. and like, he might score some brownie points in the process (or preferably, scare the guy away), so there’s that.

corpse can immediately tell which one he is judging by the side-glare he gives everyone. oh this is going to be fun.

“i assume you’re sykkuno’s friend?” corpse says upon arriving at the table the guy is sitting at. several heads turn, but there’s a reason corpse does all his dealings in the library. less people and less noise. to his credit, sykkuno’s friend doesn’t even flinch at his voice.

“toast,” he says, giving corpse raised eyebrows and a disbelieving once-over. he knows what he looks like, with his all-black attire and dark unruly hair, but still. it's rude to fucking stare. “you’re the guy sykkuno’s texting?”

“corpse. i fixed his laptop,” corpse replies, not wanting to divulge any information if he can help it.

they sit down, just two guys having a little face-off about another guy in the library. totally normal.

“i’ll get straight to the point, sykkuno’s my best friend.”

corpse lets out a snort. “really? hasn’t mentioned you.”

corpse holds in his laughter as toast’s expression quite spectacularly twists into surprise and betrayal. he grits his teeth angrily, pointing at corpse with an aggressive finger.

“that’s _not_ the point. the point is i am sworn to protect him _for life_ , and i will not hesitate to _lynch_ you if you so much as hurt his pure untainted soul!”

corpse blinks as he tries to process that when it finally clicks. of course! he gets it now. it’s the shovel talk! he should have known sykkuno wouldn't be dating such a tightwad. thank fuck he's not sykkuno's ex or something. that would be a pain.

“listen, dude. we’re just talking at this point. and i get it, okay? he’s like, the cutest, most innocent guy i’ve ever spoken to. but he’s his own person, you know? just let him take a few risks.”

toast narrows his eyes suspiciously, but at least the aggressive finger has retracted. “are you saying you’re a _risk_?”

corpse groans. “no, i’m saying let him live his life. okay? he’s a grown man. make his own decisions and shit,” corpse hesitates, pulling down on his hoodie as the nerves start creeping up. “and like. i’ll take care of him. promise.”

toast exhales slowly. “you’re jumping the gun. he thinks you’re just a friend.”

“so? i’ll take care of him as a friend. or whatever he wants. i really like him,” corpse says, and is surprised by how sincere he is about this. damn sykkuno and his soft boy agenda. it’s affecting corpse too.

“okay, micheal was right. you passed the fucking test,” toast grumbles, folding his arms on the table grimly. “but i will be on watch. and do _not_ tell sykkuno about this.”

corpse can deal with that. toast has good intentions, even if the way he’s going about it is pretty stupid. there’s silence as toast pulls out his phone and starts texting angrily into it. corpse watches, wondering how such a party pooper can be sykkuno’s friend.

“one question,” he speaks up, earning a blank look. the hostility has toned down considerably compared to before. “how did you get my number?”

toast shrugs and eyes him smugly. “i have my sources.”

corpse nods. he has an idea of who it was, if the ‘micheal’ toast mentioned is micheal reeves, the genius software programmer in his year. toast is not as slick as he thinks. “understandable. i have to go. see you, toast man.”

“don’t fucking call me that,” toast man mutters under his breath, and corpse grins under his mask. yeah, both of them are practically children. he walks away, feeling more drained than he’s ever felt after such a short interaction.

fucking hell. the things he does for boys.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments fuel me! shout at me! (there's half of what's supposed to be a friday night from corpse's pov, but idk if that would be boring so comment what you think)


	3. Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he could listen to sykkuno laugh for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka friday night from corpse's pov. i swear i'm not a simp but you guys are too nice!! so i had to grind this out anyhow. i just hope corpse isn't too ooc in this lmao. unedited and messy, but enjoy!

corpse isn’t one for parties or clubs. he also isn’t one for friends. he’s made a few; acquaintances to his past girlfriends, the people he’s working on projects with, part-time jobs, etcetera. not surprisingly, none of them really stuck except for a golden few. he’s fine with that, in all honesty. you cannot expect people to stay forever, that’s just how it’s been all his life.

speaking of friends, after that awful meeting with toast, corpse might or might not have pestered sykkuno a bit about who his friends are.

and oh _boy_ , does he regret it. the way sykkuno waxes lyrical about toast legit wants to make him throw up, so that particular topic ended very quickly. he’ll leave _that_ alone for the time being.

anyway. corpse doesn’t believe in love at first sight, or miracles, or bullshit Hallmark movies that always ends up in happily-ever-afters. he _doesn’t_ , but he believes in warm hearts and good intentions, believes in a boy who shines so bright when he smiles, who melts away corpse’s cold exterior with his kind words.

corpse puts down the cheap can of half-drank beer on his nightstand, not wanting to get too drunk yet because fucking hell, it’s getting real sappy in here. he’s just the right amount of buzzed to get sentimental about everyhting, hosting his own pity party on a friday night like a fucking loser on house arrest. got netflix on his laptop and a mountain of pillows surrounding him (it gets lonely, okay?), ready to get shit-faced.

until it dawns on him that he should really text sykkuno. he gets a feeling it’s a bad idea, but he has no fucking self-restraint and he needs a distraction before other not-so-wholesome thoughts wander in like they do on nigths like these. so even if sykkuno might be partying with his friends somewhere, laughing happily with toast and micheal and whoever the fuck the rest of his friends are; it doesn’t matter. because sykkuno’s like, really important right now. corpse misses him.

fuck, this is ridiculous. he grabs his phone from the night stand.

>you up for anything tonight, babe? ;))

hits send without thinking twice.

he scrolls past previous texts and snickers. he’s called sykkuno ‘babe’ approximately six times since they met, and it apparently hasn’t dawned on sykkuno that corpse is at least a little bit interested in him. on one hand it’s frustrating, but on the other it lets corpse get away with the most ridiculous things. like one time he straight up just asks sykkuno out, and sykkuno just replies ‘where?’ and reminds him that they’re already meeting up this Saturday, nugget head!

so he’s either a very good pretender or oblivious beyond belief, and corpse is increasingly inclined to believe it’s the latter. toast’s overwhelming concern makes a little more sense now.

_buzz._

sykkuno replies he’s just netflix and chilling too, and corpse feels a smile creeping up his face. they’re so similar sometimes, like how they’re both bad with people, and it takes a while to warm up to somebody. and how they’re both living alone, with a small circle of friends who occasionally checks up on them. his phone vibrates again.

_> i know we’re meeting tomorrow or whatever, but i was thinking maybe we _could _chill. i mean if you want. we could watch a movie together. or something._

_> idk it’s just an idea._

_> it’s stupid!_

_> anyway_

corpse stares so long at the string of texts it might as well have been burned into his retinas. is sykkuno suggesting what he thinks he’s suggesting? no. get your brain out of the gutter, corpse. you’re literally disgusting.

composing himself, he types back a fast reply. okay. holy shit. this is happening. this is really happening. holy fuck. is this like a virtual date? oh, god. when everything is set he sits deathly still between his pillows and unmutes his microphone, heart beating wildly in his chest.

“uh, sykkuno?”

_“umm, hi?”_ sykkuno’s voice flows smoothly through, almost as if he’s set up a streaming mic or something. he sounds just as unsure and awkward as when corpse first met him. dear lord, if he dies tonight then let it be sykkuno’s voice that he hears last. _“so…”_

“hey, babe,” corpse croaks, hoping the deep baritone of his voice covers up how nervous he actually is. he hears sykkuno stutter on the other end, starts feeling a bit more confident as he laughs at sykkuno. he’s not the only one who’s nervous after all.

they agree on a stupid movie (it’s _terrible_ , he doesn’t care what sykkuno thinks) and corpse doesn’t actually watch it except to point out stupid things, hoping it would make sykkuno laugh. and sykkuno does. he laughs a _lot_ and it’s so nice. it’s better than nice. he could listen to sykkuno laugh for the rest of his life.

belatedly and with a sense of impending doom, corpse realizes he’s fucking whipped.

shit.

“so, i’ve been wondering,” he says, clearing his throat noisily. it’s a nervous habit, he hopes sykkuno doesn’t pick up on it. “i’m not like…the friendliest person. why’d you decide to text me? five bucks is whatever, you know?”

crap. now he’d done it. what if sykkuno actually just wants to repay him for the fix-up? what if he doesn’t actually want to text corpse all this time? what if he’s just being nice because he’s just a terribly nice person? corpse listens carefully to sykkuno as he hesitates to answer.

_“i don’t know. i just really want to thank you? i guess i knew right away that you’re a good guy. i mean, you helped me a lot. and you’re like, a great texter. and! you liked my bulbasaur wallpaper! that was really important,”_

corpse feels his ears burn as he hears the unnecessarily long explanation. god, does he even know what he sounds like? does this guy live in the clouds or something? he’s too wholesome! corpse wants to wrap him with a blanket and just keep him warm forever! what the fuck!

_“corpse?”_

“you’re _so_ fucking cute,” corpse hears himself before even registering he’s spoken. fucking shit lizard brain. that was supposed to be in his head, damn it. people tell him he’s too intense, sometimes. he doesn’t want to scare sykkuno away, not when he’s about 90% sure he wants sykkuno very badly.

sykkuno obviously gets flustered about it, which makes it ten times cuter. corpse is going to die at this rate. he can’t do this. all he can do is laugh at sykkuno, who gets more embarrassed the more they talk.

“i cannot wait to meet you again,” he says, and bites his tongue. he probably sounds like a fucking idiot pining uselessly over someone unobtainable.

but the next thing sykkuno says is “ _what are you wearing?”_

and corpse’s brain just plummets into the dirtiest, most disgusting train of thought ever. he is officially the worst human being on this planet. but he can’t help teasing a bit, testing the water, saying flirty shit that would almost always end up in phone sex if it was _anyone_ other than sykkuno.

but this is sykkuno. and he can’t do that shit right now. the guy is in a _pikachu onesie_ for fuck’s sake (corpse might have thunked his head a little too hard into the headboard of his bed at the revelation, trying to dispel all the uwu energy in him threatening to spill out of his mouth). he’s very close to just asking sykkuno to come over. but that would be stupid, and he’s pretty sure sykkuno would just freak out, so he uses all the willpower from his one braincell and shuts his damn mouth. he doesn’t know how he’ll survive tomorrow, but at least sykkuno will not be in a pikachu onesie then. (right?)

“show me,” corpse says, in his deepest most seductive voice.

“show you what?”

“your pikachu onesie,” he holds in a laugh as he hears sykkuno make little flustered noises on the line.

“i—no, i—umm, i don’t think…umm.. this movie is great, don’t you think?”

corpse laughs, shaking his head. sykkuno plays the distraction game when he doesn’t want to talk about something. okay, then. if a game is what he wants.

“i’ll show you my face if you show me your pikachu onesie,” he says, feeling his pulse spike at his own suggestion. this is different territory, requesting selfies. sykkuno is quiet. is he thinking about it?

_“wait, really?”_ he asks, voice tiny.

corpse chuckles. “yeah,”

shit! is he agreeing? is corpse even ready for this? he didn't think it would fucking work?!

_“umm,”_ sykkuno says, laughing nervously. “ _i don’t know. isn’t that like important to you_?”

“what is?”

“ _your face. you cover it up outside. it thought—i mean, you must have a reason. not! not that i’m asking why..i’m just worried—it’s your privacy. you know? i wouldn't want to...impose on you. or anything.”_

corpse lets out a bark of laughter in disbelief. here he is, _bribing_ this guy for a picture, and all he’s worried about is corpse’s privacy? is he for real? fuck, corpse has _got_ to cut this bullshit. sykkuno’s way too innocent for his dirty tactics, and he’s not about to be scythed by toast when the guy finds out through his 'sources'.

“nah, i’m joking,” corpse lies, as his heart breaks into a million pieces, because he will probably never see sykkuno in a pikachu onesie ever again. rip in piece, pikakkuno. you will be sorely missed.

“ _oh, you're joking! i umm, i wasn’t considering it, don't worry_!” sykkuno sounds relieved, at least. so that’s good. alright, corpse is going to play nice for now.

after that they talk for what seems like hours, and sykkuno actually yawns twice during their conversation, apologizing profusely each time and ensuring corpse that he's not boring to talk too! he just yawns a lot, and it's been a busy day and no, he can keep talking if corpse wants to! corpse has to resort to gripping his sheets hard, knuckles white, so he doesn’t let out any sound to betray how fucking cute he finds sykkuno's blabbering. he's getting used to it, though, all this adorableness. it's a process.

“ _it’s late,”_ sykkuno says, his voice slowly getting quieter and quieter. “ _so i’ll see you tomorrow?”_

“sykkuno,” corpse says, and even he’s feeling a bit drowsy. the can of beer on his nightstand remains untouched. it’s 2 am. they’ve talked for 3 hours, at least.

“ _yeah?_ ”

“it’s really nice talking to you," corpse confesses. keep it cool, but nice. and honest. honesty is key with sykkuno. “i’ve never...this might sound weird, but i really… like you.”

he waits. five seconds. ten seconds. sykkuno _does_ avoid the things he doesn’t want to talk about. has he finally realized?

“i uh… i think you’re a good friend, too,” he replies. his voice seems far away. something in corpse’s chest squeezes painfully. aha, the pain of rejection. haven’t felt that for a while.

“ _yep_ ,” corpse sighs. _“see you tomorrow.”_

he goes to disconnect. and then hears rustling in sykkuno’s background before there’s a panicky sykkuno in his ear.

“ _wait! corpse, i um—“_ he hears sykkuno inhale, pause. corpse freezes, swallowing hard. “ _i like you too. a lot. i like talking to you. a lot.”_

_oh._ this is terrible. this is so, so terrible. corpse takes a deep breath. he feels fucking _butterflies_. this is so unfair.

“me too, sykkuno. a lot,” he grounds himself, because it feels like he might just float into space and just evaporate, or some metaphorical shit like that. “ _goodnight_. _babe_.”

sykkuno laughs at the other end ( _angel_ , corpse's mind supplies helpfully. _pure soul. doesn’t know anything. baby._ ) and whispers, “night.”

corpse disconnects swiftly, puts his laptop away and collapses into his pillows. he takes his favourite one, carefully places it onto his face, and very promptly screams into it. he can’t fucking wait for tomorrow.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> attention: i will NOT be continuing this anymore, because i've written everything i've envisioned for this fic. i do not intend to write about the meet-up, so please don't request it! also thank you for all the nice comments, i appreciate them very much :)))
> 
> ps: guys, we can ship them, okay? just very, very quietly. they don't have to know. don't spam it in their twitch chats. don't message them about it. as far as we know, they're friends. okay? but i think most of us are chill about it, so yeah :D

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [cyan is sus](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103499) by [hdnprplflwrs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hdnprplflwrs/pseuds/hdnprplflwrs)




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